The Thursday Update

Lakeshore Friends—

I hope this finds you staying warm and staying upbeat.  If you’re like me and many others, January and February are the two toughest months to stay upbeat and energized.  The holidays have passed, the days are shorter than at any other time, the sun is rarely out to energize us, and every time we leave the house we have to freeze until our car warms up or we reach our destination.

Not fun.

But as I was finally back to work today after a bout with COVID last week, I was reminded how much being with others (like the staff and a few pastors I had lunch with) changed everything for the better.  Being together with people who share faith in Jesus can change everything, and having been away these past 10 days helped remind me of that again.

Feeling the blahs?  Battling to stay upbeat?  Low on energy or enthusiasm?  Let us help you by being together on Sunday.  Between services that help us worship God and grow spiritually, and the conversations and relationships that we engage in over coffee in the Atrium, we’ll find what we need to stay close to God and be more upbeat about life.

Let’s encourage each other this Sunday.  March is still a few weeks away!

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

This Sunday, we will be remembering two important events: Martin Luther King, Jr. day and Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.  Both of them help us remember that every human life has equal value before God.  Both of them help us remember that every human life is a precious gift given to us by God to value and nurture.  Both of them raise important issues that are near and dear to the heart of God.  And both of them can be summed up in this phrase: Since all people matter to God, then all people should also matter to us.

Together, let’s stand up for each other and for all people— especially for people who are vulnerable to prejudice and for those who cannot stand up for themselves.  Our God is a life-giving and life-saving God, and if we want to be like Him we will live this same way.

Let’s do our part every day we can, but especially in this season of remembrance, by showing some extra love to the people around us.  Who knows, they may see the love of God through us in ways that change their lives.

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

I have gone to church pretty much all of my life. As a result, I have held a lot of different views on it. When I was a kid, my favorite services involved us arriving a little late, hearing a super-short message, and then taking communion and walking directly out to the car as I said a prayer to God. On a “good day”, I could limit my time to about 30 minutes.

Suffice to say that I wasn’t the biggest fan of church back then. I didn’t hate it at all, I just didn’t get anything out of going there.

Fast forward to today and I am in love with the church. I see it for what it can be and love seeing it operate at its best. When it doesn’t operate well, it hurts to see but I still love it. Unfortunately, my view is not universal. Some people don’t really take any interest in the church, others don’t like the church, and still, others really hate the church.

On Sunday, I will begin a new series, “Why I Love The Church” where we will cover six reasons why everyone should love the church. Even if you don’t love the church, I think you’ll like hearing about why many people do for the reasons outlined in the New Testament.

I’d LOVE to see you!

Warmly,
Vince